Perilous in Pink
by Daisy Pennifold
Summary: In which a midnight rendezvous between James and Lily becomes violent, and James couldn't be happier. Fluff, One Shot, Complete


_A/N: This is really short. It came to me in the bath, of all places, and I just really liked the idea. It's hard for me to think of L/J situations that haven't been done before, yet are in character. I think that this shows both of their characters really well. I wanted to use it in a story, and I still might someday, if I have a place for it. I think that it stands well on its own, though. I hope you like it. -Daisy_

James Potter was glad that it was so late; he'd be mortified if anyone saw him. It was well after midnight, and the common room was empty. He had finally 'accidentally' let off a stray dung bomb, and that cleared everyone out so that he could quit the act and finally get down to business.

James Potter…was _studying_.

Rumour had it that James _never_ studied for _anything_, and that his grades were a by-product of natural brilliance and magical aptitude. This rumour had started his first year, when he had slept through Binn's class and still managed an "O" on the pop quiz at the end of the lecture. Fact was, he was close enough to Binn's desk that he could see the answer key, sitting on the edge. It had made his reputation, and he never told anyone other than Remus, who seemed to be able to see right through him. He didn't think that he'd ever be able to keep a secret from Moony.

So, he still slept through class, but only because he typically stayed up until three or four in the morning, learning ahead in the books so that he could keep up his brilliant grades without anyone knowing _how_ he did it. He was quite amazed that he was able to hide his studying for so long – he had just entered his final year, and was still able to maintain his secret schedule.

The most annoying part of it all? Sirius Black had the same reputation he did. And from what James could see, he really _didn't _study. Sirius apparently slept about sixteen hours a day (including through most of his classes), ate four, and spent the rest of the time planning and executing pranks around the school. Even James didn't know how he did it. It was frightening to think what Sirius would be capable of, if he ever woke up long enough to try.

Suddenly, James noticed a fresh, flowery scent that seemed to permeate the pungent aroma of the dungbomb that still clung to the room. He looked over his shoulder to see Lily Evans, clad only in some silky pale-pink kimono that barely reached her knees, walking over towards him. She rubbed her scalp with her fingertips, and he noticed that her long red hair was still wet from the shower.

"P-Potter?" Lily yawned, walking over to him as she looked around the common room with bleary eyes. "What are you still doing up?"

"Er, writing you love poems, Evans," James recovered smoothly, as he surreptitiously transfigured his Charms text into a book of poetry. "Thought I'd read them to everyone at breakfast."

"I can hardly wait," Lily replied dryly. "Have you seen a – oh, there it is! Budge up, Potter." Lily leaned over the desk, right next to James, and reached for a book on the shelf above him.

James turned to look at her, and noticed that his eyes were right at level with the part of Lily he enjoyed looking at most. His mouth dropped open when he realized that her kimono was gaping and if he moved his head just the _slightest _bit forward he'd-

"GET AN EYEFUL, DID YA, YOU GREAT GIT?" Lily, unfortunately, had retrieved her book, and looked down at James just in time to see what he was looking at. As she yelled at him, she smacked him hard in the back of the head with the book that she had just pulled down from the shelf, _How to Win Friends and Influence People._

"AARRGGHH! Damn, Evans, my eye!" James leapt up from the desk. When Lily had hit him, he had just finished chewing on the nib of his quill, and Lily's book had forced his head down so that the quill went right into his eye.

"Oh, Merlin," Lily said, looking at James frantically. He was holding onto his eye and red fluid seemed to be running all over his hands and down his face. "I've blinded you! Oh, James, what can I do? Let me see!" She pulled his hands away from his face and used the belt of her kimono to wipe the blood away, before realizing that it wasn't blood, but red ink. "You prat! I've gone and ruined the kimono Yuka sent me last year! I thought I'd poked your eye out!"

"Well," James countered defensively, "It does really hurt."

"Why weren't you wearing your glasses?"

"I don't need them to read."

"Oh. Sit down and let me look at your eye, now I've got the ink off."

He sat on a sofa behind him. Lily knelt next to him, and reached up to examine his eye. She was very close. Her shampoo was overwhelming and he was glad she had pressed his eyes shut because if he saw _her_ eyes this close he'd probably –

"You'll be fine," she said, and he felt her lips caress his swollen eyelid before she backed off the couch. He opened his eyes and saw her grab up her book and walk towards the stairs to her dormitory. She winked at him, and headed up. "Oh, and the Charms essay isn't due for another week. You should probably go to sleep now, rest your eye. Sweet dreams, Potter."

James dropped his head on the back of the couch and closed his eyes, still smelling her. He didn't even begin to wonder how she knew that he was really doing Charms. In the back of his mind, he realized that he really didn't mind whether she knew or not. He thought, just maybe, he _would_ write her a love poem, and read it at breakfast, just to see her laugh. Sweet dreams indeed.

"You too, Evans."

But she had already left the room.

_A/N: Yuka was a Japanese exchange student at my high school – I lost touch with her years ago, but she was brilliant, funny, and a great friend. I miss her, so I dropped her in._


End file.
